Improved extension-ladder



tlciimlf time wMeaaa-WM WARREN MREHEAD, 0F PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA.

Leners Patent No. 84,839, dated December e, 186s. I

IMPROVED EXTENSION-LADDER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and maln'ng part of thesame.

To all Awhom it 'ma/y conce/ru Be it known that I, WARREN MOREHEAD, ofParkersburg, in the county of Wood, and in the State of West Virginia,lhave invented certain new and useful Improvements" inExtension-Ladders; and do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to an improvement on my extension-ladder, patentedMarch 14, 1865, and consists A represents a triangular ladder, providedat the top,

and at any suitable number of its rounds, with metal guides, d (l, whichwork in grooves on the sides of the sliding ladder B, as shown in fig.l.

The sliding ladder B is constructed of two beams, a u, placed closetogether, and only separated by small blocks, b b, placed at intervalsbetween them, and Asecured in any suitable manner. The rounds c c arethen p ut through the two beams, so that they extend ou -both sides.

The blpcks b b do not reach entirely to the inner edge of the beams a a,but leave a small space, as seen in iig. 2. l

By constructing the sliding ladder of two beams, as above described, Iobtain room enough for the roller O at the top, the latch D, near thebottom, and groove for the hoisting-rope E, without having the troubleof grooving and mortising, as would be the case if the ladder were madeof one single beam. Besides, it is far easier to obtain two beams ofsingle thickness than one of the required double thickness.

The latch D, near the lower end of the sliding ladder B, is constructedin the same manner as in my patent above referred to, with the followingaddition: A regu.- lating-slide,c, is placed on the upper part of thelatch, and slides in avertical slot on the same, asshown in 2.

gThe working of the latch is as follows:

In extending the ladder, the regulating-slide e .is moved 'downward byeach round of the triangular ladder A, enabling the spring f to throwthe latch out, so that it can catch ou any round desired.

To lower the ladder, it is first necessary to raise it sufficiently toallow the regulating-slide c to pass above the round. Then lower thesliding ladder, and the slide e, being above the round, slides uponjthelatch to the lupper end of its slot or grooves, then .has to pass underthe round, which closes the latch just at the moment when the lower endof the same would otherwise catch on the round below.

By this means, it will be seen that the sliding ladder B can be made topass down freely.

To stop the sliding ladder at any desired round while lowering, thecatch-end of the latch must iirst pass under the said round, and theregulating-slide under its round till released; then, byy raising thesliding ladder until the'slide e has been moved downward, the latch willdrop into position.

The sliding ladder is raised and lowered bythe rope E, which is securedto the sliding ladder at a suitable point to prevent it from beingraised too high and getting it out of the guides. The rope E then passesover or around the pulley h in the upper end of the triangular ladder A.

'The above-described invention is intended asI an improvement upon inypatent of March 14, 1865.

Vhat I claim as an improvement upon said paten't is- 'he arrangement ofthe sliding ladder B, constructed as described, triangular ladder A,with its guides d d, and the vlatch D and slide c, all constructed andoperating as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand,this 14th day of October, 1868.

WARREN MOREHEAD.

Witnesses: A

FRANK REX, JAMES S. GARDNER.

